I don't think it would be a case of massaging egos, or id hope not, but more along the lines of being part of something unique whilst representing your country, albeit within a 'team gb' set up and if they win it, going into the history books! I am under the impression that there is no real threat of loss of independence, (just some scottish nutter being a little paranoid...plus its in their nature to think that way judging by the nature of the call for an independent Scotland lol) As you said we are one of the oldest footballing nations in the world and I think there would be a lot of support against it even if the bigwigs at FIFA suggested it down the line as where would they stop....jamaica and all the islands down that way must merge together as they are in close proximity for example. The only viable reason for them to suggest such a thing to go ahead would be the financial aspect of it as you would be pooling the resources of 4 nations into 1 team....that would realistically be their only option to suggest the nations merging and we all saw what the FAW was like when we were to fall under the FA....cant imagine they would roll over, nevermind the scottish...hell they might even lower ticket prices to get more fans behind the team to show that they do have support as Wales and not part of a team GB
A mickey mouse competition that takes the piss out of the true olympic spirit. Without googling, tell me who won this prestegious title at the last 3 Olympics???? Exactly, really famous arent they. Now tell me who won the last 3 World Cups, Champions Leagues, Premier League, Championship titles... and tell me the Olympics is important. If it wasn't in London, the FA would not give a flying ****. Even if they did well, they will not a give a toss about the Welsh players ... just the old guard/Beckham and English youngsters.
I agree that it probably shouldnt be in the Olympics but at the end of the day it is....golf being in it is the real pisstake!! and you are probably right that if it wasnt in London they probably wouldnt put in a team...but they have an its going to hopefully give some a welsh player or two a chance to play in a world competition as **** knows how long they will have to wait for wales to actually bloody qualify for anything so I dont see why they shouldnt go for it, if its good enough for Messi As for the last 3 winners Argentina won the gold the last 2 times and it was an african country before that but cant remember which one....may have been Nigeria :/
I could be wrong but I think Great Britain won the first 3 Olympic gold ( might be wrong about that ) . It's the Olympic Games , one of the biggest athletic shows on Earth , only comes around every 4 years . If given the chance , it's to much to ask an athlete to give up . Wales seems to have a very special place in the history of football within Great Britain , club & country ... which makes things needfully versatile
In regards to welsh players in teamGB , there is nothing the FAW can do to prevent them playing in it if they wish, what are they going to do stop people like Bale, Williams and Allen from playing for Wales ? It's not going to happen! It's about choice these players are British they have a right to play in teamGB, I would think that if a player truly wants to represent us in the Olympics there is nothing the FAW can do or us.
If it was up to me they would never be let anywhere near the welsh team again as good as they are, next time i hear Allen,Bale etc waxing how proud they are to play for our great country, i will remember how keen they were to put our nations national team at risk.
It's a good job the decision is not yours to make then, there is no risk I think, and we struggle as a nation now to put quality players on the field, if we start banning people from playing it will make a mockery of Wales and we might as well give up having a welsh team. We have the British Lions, we have the barbarians in rugby, do you see anywhere that people are worried about a welsh national side ? I know they are different sports but FIFA have put it that they regard this anymore than a TeamGB Olympic side, they don't even have any say in the Olympics in any case. For the record I don't really care about if they play for them or not as it will effect our nation
Sepp Blatter himself has stated publically that the risk of the FAW,SFA, FAI and FA losing their independance is indeed very real, he even suggested that just the english play in the olympics, and not make too much of a fuss over this, because it could set the ball rolling within FIFA these were his words 18 months ago in cardiff.
The british lions is very different, the british unions are big players in the world top ten and are one of the elite rugby nations in world rugby , all the teams outside the top ten are mostly amateur wales weilds a lot of power in world rugby.
At the end of the day Mabon there is nothing the FAW can do to prevent welsh players participating in the Olympics, basically it's nothing to do with them as the Olympics is not a FIFA sanctioned competition. The FAW officially will not endorse it, that is fine the myopic old gents club do that if they wish, won't they can't do is order players not to play. Also Brendan fully endorses players in the swans team to play in the Olympics if chosen, he is NI so he knows what is involved here. And Sepp Blatter has only mentioned over representation of the home nations in votes, he has not mentioned anywhere about a TeamGB permanently. And he will soon be gone in any case. Now I fail to see how this is about joe Allen , don't even know why it's come up here on this thread.
FIFA have a big say in olympic football, Sepp Blatter is on the IOC AND fifa through the british fa's currently control law making in world football, you see the point i am trying to make is this, the other countries would love to make us 1 fa because for year this small island has controlled the really important committes within FIFA. think back to the english bid for 2018, which was a total humiliation for england , because of the power currently held by the british nations within the corridors of power in geneva, there is a group of countries especially the african nations who beleive that britain has held sway within FIFA for too long and they want a change. Wales Scotland Nireland and england saved FIFA from bankruptcy back in the day and as part of the deal the british fa's were given special priveleges, within the FIFA rules o be a member of FIFA you have to be an individual country of which there are 204, because a deal was struck back in the day for helping them save FIFA the british fa's were allowed to compete as individual nations which is against the rules of FIFA, there is a group of 9 who are responsible for setting laws within world footbal, the four home nations have a vote each plus we provide a permanent vice president who leads this committe and he also has a vote, so we effectively control law making within FIFA, there are many inside FIFA who feel that that the balance of power needs to change , and the calls are getting louder, that is why the FAW,SFA and FAI are resisting recognising team gb, because if we can play as a team now, why can't we permanently play as 1 team in all competitions, we would then lose our independance and it would only take a change of FIFA president sympathetic to a vote on changing the current status of the home nations within FIFA for that to become a reality,
Joe Allen has put himself forward for selection which makes him relevant, and all football whether it be local park football, world cup or olympic football (sepp blatter represents the interests of fifa on the IOC)has to be sanctioned by FIFA they are the governing body of world football.
How is it relevant to our club ? We are talking about whether his value is high enough should another club come in for him. The Olympics is completely another subject! You are very argumentative
They can resist all they like, what they can't do is tell players that they cannot represent our country, and FYI Britain is our country not Wales ! The fact is that there probably does need change in FIFA as 5 votes as you put it is unfair, does that mean I think there should be a TeamGB permanently ? No it doesn't ! People consider FIFA as corrupt , which is probably true, it's funny that it's corrupt with 5 British and NI people in a powerful position and they have these problems. Power corrupts it seems, just look at the G8 and the shenanigans there, it appears that the G9 in FIFA are the same.
Valley, you ask questions, but then don't like the answers that people post. It's a forum and is open to debate. In your short time on being on the Swans forum, it's not just me that you have had 'spats' with because you dislike the posts. I suggest you look in the mirror, before throwing your toys out of the pram again. Have you ever asked yourself, why is this always happening to me?
Valleyswan this is not about Joe Allen or david beckham or any other individual player, this is about politics within world football, our club becomes relevant because if we as british football associations have to merge as one swansea will not be at the front of the queue for a place in the new british premier league, it then becomes a british wide scenario, and make no mistake the english fa will take over and set the agenda because they are the biggest by a country mile, we will all have the opportunity of going to wembley to see a token welshman play for the new great britain all star eleven strut their stuff at wembley stadium, and now and again we will be able to see that token welshman at the millenium stadium against the faroe isles when britain is drawn with them in the euros or world cup , because that is the reality of what is at stake if we lose our independance. take note how the english fa have handled setting up this olympic football team, they will think of themselves and it will be fu*k the other home nations, the english are worried about this but the government have pressured them in to buying in to this team gb thing, you can't have the english fa walking away from an olympic games that is being held in england, what will the world think, very embarrassing for them if they followed the celtic nations, and by towing the line with FIFA england were hoping it would help them get the 2018 word cup and we know how that turned out.
Your country in football terms is Wales, great britain is not a recognised country within FIFA. Personally i am Welsh and only Welsh
